The Braid Hills area of Edinburgh played host to some unusual visitors on Saturday night.

A crowd of eyewitnesses, including several University of Edinburgh students, reported seeing strange lights hovering in the sky at around 9pm.

Lyle Brennan, 19, said: “We were trying to find our way home when we saw a series of orange lights rising very slowly into the sky. They appeared to be coming from behind the hill, drifting to a high altitude and eventually extinguishing.

“I’d like to think I’d have fought them off or taken a Pulitzer Prize winning photo, but I’d probably just hide in a bush and weep.”

Air traffic controllers from Edinburgh Airport noted nothing unusual in the area, and an Army Spokeswoman tentatively offered an explanation.

"We did have Territorial Army troops carrying out training at Dreghorn on Saturday, and while we don't know if they used flares, that would be one explanation.

"Of course, I can't say for certain. It could have been a genuine UFO sighting."

This is the fourth such sighting in the Lothian area, according to de-classified documents recently released by the Government.

In 1998, witnesses reported a series of flashing lights over Costorphine Hill, and similar incidents have been recorded in Leith and East Linton.

The subject of extra-terrestrial life is a vogue area of scientific research at the moment, with numerous recently published articles devoted to the subject.

A fourth year physics student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “Astro-biology is an active area of research. I think there was a planet discovered last year that seemed to show similar conditions to Earth so who knows what might be lurking there.”